

Grange. We presented our ease to the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the National Grange, who informed us, that they 

 were ready to consider any claims we might have for ex- 

 cessive dues paid for the year 1874, but for those of 1875 

 and 1876 we must settle with the Secretary and Treasurer. 

 We were requested to separate our claims, and present 

 that only for the yen r 1874, taking the reports as a basis 

 of computation. This we very willingly complied with, 

 and presented a claim of eight hundred and thirty-nine 

 dollars and fifty-two cents, which was very generously 

 allowed, and the same placed to our credit on the books 

 of the Treasurer. We had not anticipated the allowance 

 of this claim, as it had been partially acknowledged and 

 previously paid from the amount of our loan, which was 

 subsequently made a donation. In the settlement of our 

 dues for the years 1875 and 76 a difference of opinion 

 arose between your Committee and the Secretary and 

 Treasurer of the National Grange in relation to the con- 

 struction of the law relating to making reports and the 

 payment of dues, passed at the last previous session, 

 which could not be reconciled, and we wjre obliged to 

 defer the settlement, and ask the National Grange to con- 

 strue the law. In due course of time this was done, and 

 the views of your Committee sustained. The Grange 

 subsequently reconsidered its action and added a provisos 

 that this construction shoud not take effect until the com- 

 mencement of the present fiscal year (October 1, 1876). 

 This we claimed the Grange had no right to do. That we 

 were not responsible for the errors of others, and that we 

 were entitled to all the benefits of a proper construction 

 of the law. That the law could not mean one thing one 

 year and another the next year, and refused to settle under 

 the old construction of the law, Unless they would accept 

 an estimated report, which was finally done. We believe 

 this basis was just and equitablo. The amount deducted 

 from the claim of the National Grange for the year 1875 

 and half of 1870 was$1 ,584.78, making a total deduction of 



